Learning and Teaching

This page contains curricula that were created by heritage language (HL) instructors who have participated in our summer HL teacher workshop. These projects are course curricula that incorporate principles of HL pedagogy and which have been placed into practice in real-world classrooms.

STARTALK Curriculum Templates (High School level)

Most heritage languages are also less commonly taught languages, and few materials exist for teachers that are appropriate or can be adapted for heritage language instruction. NHLRC, with support from the National Foreign Language Center’s STARTALK Program, is committed to the development of materials that are suitable for heritage language instruction. The following language materials were created for use in our summer High School Language courses.

Online Script Courses

We created the following online script courses to give high school heritage learners a head start before taking our UCLA summer courses. They are specially designed for heritage learners, taking their knowledge of basic vocabulary and oral skills into account to make a bridge to literacy. Each tutorial is sequential: teachers introduce a certain number of letters in each lesson, providing multiple ways to practice identifying and writing each letter. The following lessons build on the previous ones, until students are practicing reading, listening to, and writing all the letters in the alphabet. Because of this structure, we recommend that you begin at the beginning and go through the lessons in order without skipping. We hope you enjoy these tutorials and let us know whether they helped you learn.

The following podcasts are dedicated to heritage language research, education, pedagogy, and lived experience. They address issues that the NHLRC has identified through its surveys or which have been raised by participants in workshops and conferences. If you have any suggestions or requests to address specific issues, please email us at nhlrc@international.ucla.edu.

An interview with Alegría Ribadeneira (Colorado State University, Pubelo)

As heritage languages gain more attention in the public domain, universities have begun to offer courses that introduce students to social, cultural, pedagogical, and linguistic challenges of heritage languages, make one think what it means to be a heritage speaker in a modern society, and dispel persistent misconceptions and stereotypes about bilingualism. It is encouraging that such courses are offered in addition to (and sometimes in connection with) language courses for heritage re-learners. An introductory class on heritage languages and their speakers may be a true melting pot where a student taking Mandarin for Mandarin speakers, a student taking Spanish for Spanish speakers, and a monolingual English speaker who has never had any experience with bilingual families study side by side, compare experiences, and learn new concepts from such diverse fields as sociology, psychology, education, and linguistics. It is our hope that more and more universities will offer more general education classes (as well as higher division classes) on heritage speakers. This website presents syllabi, class materials, and samples of students' work from several such classes offered throughout the country. If you or your colleagues have offered such a course please send us your materials for posting.

Course Syllabi and Research Papers

The following are syllabi from classes taught by Maria Polinsky on the subject of heritage language learners (HLLs) at the University of California, Los Angeles and at the University of Maryland, and Vera Gribanova's syllabus from her graduate course on HLLs at Stanford University.

The Coalition of Community-Based Language Schools is a nationwide initiative established to support, guide, and promote the interests of community-based heritage language schools and organizations across the United States. The NHLRC has partnered with the Coalition to create a forum to facilitate communication among these community-based heritage language schools/programs.